He and Alison have been cash flow/ note investors since 1981. He is the editor of THE PAPER SOURCE JOURNAL and she is the publisher. In addition to numerous articles in THE PAPER SOURCE JOURNAL and other publications, he is the author of the guidebooks “How To Get Started In Notes Without Using Your Own Funds,” “Almost Everything That Could Go Wrong With A Note and How to Prevent It” and several s
eminars. He received the coveted Founder´s Award for starting the first nationwide cash flow publication and first industry national convention and was inducted into both the Mortgage Report Hall of Fame and Metropolitan Mortgage´s Note Industry Hall of Fame. His opinions on financial and other matters have been quoted in virtually all the nation´s major media outlets including The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, Time, The Washington Post, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, NBC, CBS, ABC, CNN and many others both print and broadcast. The nation´s best-selling personal finance author, Newsweek columnist Jane Bryant Quinn, wrote, “William Mencarow is an expert on real estate notes.” (Newsweek 8/22/00)
He and Alison met on Capitol Hill during their careers with the U.S. House of Representatives as professional staff. Alison (at right, in a photo taken in 2010) has an extensive background in public service as a Congressional press secretary, speechwriting assistant for the Vice President of the U.S., Washington representative for a medical association organized to preserve the practice of private medicine, public policy for a Washington conservative think-tank and for the American Conservative Union, list manager for the largest political and financial newsletter company in the world, and more…including a key role in organizing many of the annual Conservative Political Action Conferences (CPAC) in Washington, D.C., where everyone who´s anyone in conservatism participates (including the fellow above shaking hands with a bearded Mencarow — in a photo decidedly NOT taken in 2010). He was Minority Counsel and Staff Director of the Subcommittee on Government Operations of the U.S House of Representatives during his career with the Congress in Washington, D.C. He also was the press secretary and legislative director for members of Congress, having staff responsibility for many bills that became law. He believes his most long-lasting contribution was helping to write, co-sponsor and shepherd through Congress the bill that eventually created the American Eagle Gold Coin, the only legislation Ron Paul has introduced that has become law (also see Creating the Gold Coin in Congress.) He also worked exposing graft and corruption while an investigator in the Executive Branch of the federal government. He has written:
“After many years I decided to leave my career in Washington D.C. I had managed about a dozen political campaigns, then came to Washington and worked as an investigator in an agency of the Executive Office of the President, then worked for Ronald Reagan in his campaigns and as President, and the U.S. Congress in various capacities for a number of years (press secretary, legislative director, subcommittee counsel, chief of staff). "Saving America was even harder than I had thought it would be. Eventually I realized that the Democrats want to drive us off the cliff at 100 mph, the Republicans want to do it at 55. Or as George Wallace kept saying, "There's not a dime's worth of difference between the two parties." And he said that when a dime was worth a lot more than it is today! "When I finally understood that, I decided, after 3 decades in politics and government, that I would take at least a hiatus until I could figure out what the Lord would have me do with the rest of my life. I would help my boss, a young congressman, get re-elected and then give my notice. Today he is the Attorney General of a Midwestern state, and my best friend in the office is chairman of one of the most powerful committees in Congress. I wish them the very best, and I wouldn’t trade places; well, maybe for a little while -- if I had the power to abolish the federal income and estate taxes and local property taxes, shut down virtually all the departments, eliminate the Federal Reserve, cut federal spending and government employees 90% or more, sell the government (“public”) schools and most of the government-owned real estate, repeal legal tender laws and paper currency, repeal most of the other laws, esp. “Obamacare,” replace the U.S. Code (man’s laws) with the Bible (God’s laws), impeach Obama and everyone else in the line of succession until we get to Ron Paul….and then I would start on my second week. "If I am ever elected President and stand before the Congress, Supreme Court, etc. to take the oath of office, I will swear, in the words of the official oath, “to the best of my ability, (to) preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.” And then, in obedience to my solemn oath, my first act as President will be to turn to the assembled officials and say, “You’re all under arrest.”
"You can see why I wasn’t a good fit in Washington. "People often ask me what I learned working in Congress. I answer, if the opposite of “pro” is “con,” then the opposite of “progress” is…”
Before his congressional service he managed over a dozen political campaigns and worked in every presidential campaign since 1960 (when at the age of 11 he got his Mom to drive him — many times — to downtown Moline, IL where he passed out brochures on street corners). Later he was on Ronald Reagan´s presidential campaign staff (yes, he was a bit older than 11), was in charge of all Reagan volunteers at the Republican National Convention and served as Senior Advisor to the Reagan Presidential Transition Committee. Prior to that he was a television and radio talk show host for eight years in the Chicago area and produced the morning drive-time program, The Howard Miller Show, for the NBC-owned radio affiliate WMAQ. It often became the #1 most-listened to program in Chicagoland (the legendary Howard fought for ratings tooth-and-nail with the equally legendary Wally Phillips at WGN). And before that he majored in philosophy at Elmhurst College (IL) and earned a certificate at National Chengchi University in Taipei, Taiwan, ROC. While in high school he was a photographer for the Moline (IL) Daily Dispatch, the youngest staff photographer in the history of that newspaper. That was the first time he realized that people would actually pay him to do what he would gladly do for free. He has been interviewed on numerous radio and TV programs including “Good Morning America,” most networks and in major U.S. newspapers and magazines. He has engaged in numerous debates before large and televised audiences. His opponents have included Jane Fonda, Gore Vidal, Dr. Paul Ehrlich and many others. He says his highest political honor came when a speech he wrote for a member of Congress was attacked by Pravda, the official newspaper of the Communist Party of the former Soviet Union.
